Position overview

Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol and Drug Services (MHJHADS) provides support to children, youth and adults through inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, justice health facilities and other community settings, including people’s homes. We partner with our health care consumers, their family, carers, government, and community organisations to ensure that they receive the best possible care during their treatment and recovery.

MHJHADS services include:

• Adult Community & Older Persons Mental Health Services
• Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMHS)
• Alcohol & Drug Services (ADS)
• Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Justice Health Services (JHS)

The successful applicant will work across several of the MHJHADS services, including AIMHS and ADS Withdrawal Unit.

AIMHS includes the Adult Mental Health Unit (AMHU), Ward 12B and the Mental Health Short Stay Unit (MHSSU). The AMHU is a 40-bed inpatient unit for people experiencing moderate to severe mental illness. AMHU is a contemporary evidence-based service providing high quality mental health care, guided by the principles of Recovery. The service aims to provide collaborative care involving the person, their carers, and other key services. 12B is 10–14-bedroom low dependency inpatient unit for patients with a lower risk of behavioural disturbance or vulnerability. MHSSU is a low dependency 6 bed inpatient unit in the Emergency Department for people requiring extended mental health assessment and/or treatment initiation.

The Alcohol and Drugs Services Withdrawal Unit is a team of nurses and medical specialists that provide withdrawal management from alcohol and drugs in an in-patient unit at The Canberra Hospital.

The successful applicant of the HP2 Exercise Physiologist position is responsible for conducting skilled clinical assessments and delivering individual and group-based interventions to people and facilitate group programs through the Therapeutic Group Program. They will provide individualised assessments and exercise programs to complex mental health consumers with/without chronic health conditions under limited supervision. In this role you will contribute clinical expertise to the multidisciplinary team, assist and contribute to the service development and therapy processes and support health promotion strategies within Canberra Health Services.

The successful applicant will also be required to undertake professional development and clinical supervision and participate in quality improvement initiatives. The successful applicant may also provide support supervising staff at the Health Professional 1 level, students and clinically related staff (such as Allied Health Assistants). The position will report operationally to the Allied Health Manager alongside the HP4 Clinical Lead over the program area. Discipline specific support is available through the Exercise Physiology Profession lead.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provide appropriate assessments and interventions to individual and group mental health consumers with moderate to severe mental health conditions using established principles, techniques and methods with support.
2. Maintain high level quality clinical records and prepare both verbal and written clinical reports for a professional audience in a timely manner that meets data collection requirements.
3. Liaise with carers, community partners, and other service providers as required to ensure continuity of engagement in physical activity through the transition of care according to the models of care.
4. Participate in the therapeutic group program, including the evaluation of the program.
5. Participate in health education programs and contribute to teaching and training of other clinicians and stakeholders for areas of clinical service delivery.
6. Participate in team and program related service development activities, quality improvement projects, research programs, and health promotion in relevant areas.
7. Participate in supervision, continuing professional development and performance management. Including actively providing professional supervision and training to Health Professionals level 1, Allied Health Assistants, students and other support staff.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet client’s needs.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

Essential

• Exercise Physiology degree or equivalent qualification from a recognised tertiary institution.
• Current accreditation or eligibility for accreditation with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA).
• Current Driver’s license.

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of one years’ experience working professionally, post qualification in a related/ relevant organisation/service.

Desirable

• Previous experience working with the area of mental health.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Prior to commencement

Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act2011is required.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience and must be addressed in your application:

1. Proven ability as an Exercise Physiologist to develop, implement and review evidence based physical activity interventions for individuals and groups with comorbid chronic and complex physical health conditions and complex and serious mental health conditions.
2. Proven ability to work independently while working effectively and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment.
3. Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to establish rapport, motivate and maintain consumer engagement.
4. Demonstrated ability to participate and review quality improvement initiatives in the discipline of Exercise Physiology to meet the therapeutic needs of patients.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.